Who will be great in the kingdom of heaven?
What’s your goal in life?
Some people have no goal. They just exist and then die.
Others seek pleasure. Yet others seek riches or power. They are not much different from those who have no goal.
Yet others seek earthly greatness.
Our goal should be to be great in the kingdom of heaven. If that is not your goal, then you are missing your calling. After you read this, I hope you will spend the necessary time thinking about what I’ve written and make it your goal to be great in the kingdom of heaven. Further, I hope that from now on, you will always have greatness at the back of your mind, and that it will guide your thoughts and your actions.
In the gospels we see that the disciples wanted to be great in the kingdom of heaven.
Mt 18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
Mk 9:33-34 They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.
Lk 9:46 An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest.
Lk 22:24 And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest.
Mk 10:35-37 35 James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You." 36 And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?" 37 They said to Him, "Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory."
Interestingly, Jesus did not rebuke them for wanting to be great. Instead, He explained to them how to achieve greatness. So it is not wrong to aspire to greatness in the kingdom of heaven. We should just go about being great in the proper way.
Even the apostle Paul was looking for greatness.
1 Cor 9:24-27 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
Phil 3:13-14 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
I hope that what I said earlier about desiring to be great has had an impact on you and has caused you to see clearly that there is nothing more desirable than being great in the kingdom of heaven.
So what is the proper way to be great?
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